


meant to be

by falloutmars



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drunk Betty, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Kissing, Matchmaker Veronica, Party, lowkey love at first sight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 07:37:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21175793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutmars/pseuds/falloutmars
Summary: prompt:A: Is it hot in here or is it just me?B: It’s you.





	meant to be

**Author's Note:**

> warning for alcohol mentions throughout

Betty told herself that in college, she would do everything her mother would hate her to do. Parties, excessive drinking, skipping class. But just 2 weeks in, she’s _ tired_. Her roommate and self-labelled new best friend Veronica Lodge, however, is a party animal. So, Betty might be tired, but she’s going to another party tonight whether she likes it or not.

At 5pm when Veronica comes waltzing into her room with a bottle of wine, Betty knows she’s in for a long night. 

“B! I have brought your favourite for us while we get ready for tonight,” she half-yells, waving the bottle towards Betty.

“Ah, brilliant,” she replies, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Veronica pours her a glass with an eye roll. 

Betty takes a sip before standing up and walking over to her closet. She starts sifting through her clothes when Veronica interrupts her.

“So,” she begins, a cheeky edge to her voice. “I’m meeting Archie at the party tonight, and he tells me he is bringing his best friend along to meet you. He sounds exactly like your type.”

Archie is Veronica’s new boyfriend. Very new boyfriend, in fact. They’ve been quote-unquote dating for just under 2 weeks now, although Betty is unsure if it truly counts as dating if they never leave the bedroom. He seems nice enough, though, and Veronica never stops talking about him. She’s tried to convince Betty to find a boyfriend so they can go on double dates but Betty is always quick to dismiss her. Today included. 

“Veronica,” she sighs. “I told you I’m not looking for anything at the moment.”

Veronica holds her hands up even though one’s holding a wine glass and the other a bottle. 

“Please talk to him at least? For me?” She gives Betty her best puppy dog eyes. They’re not needed, though, as Betty has learnt over the past 2 weeks that no one says no to Veronica Lodge. 

“Fine, I’ll talk to him. But now will you help me pick an outfit while I drink this wine?”

Veronica lets out an excited squeal and quickly gets to work. 

—

A few hours later, Betty finds herself walking into the house of a girl she’s never met to attend a party she really doesn’t want to be at. Veronica has made sure they’re ‘fashionably late’, so the party is in full swing by the time they arrive. 

Veronica chose one of her own far too short, black dresses for Betty to wear. She convinces her to wear her hair down for once, too, and Betty knows she’s trying to make her look good for Archie’s best friend. Usually, she would care but the three glasses of wine Betty’s had allow Veronica to win this time. 

At the party, the pair immediately find the drinks. Veronica pours them shots and Betty chokes it down in an attempt to calm her rising anxiety. She’s then being handed a red cup of something unidentifiable and dragged by the hand through crowds of unknown faces.

They reach a slightly quieter room of the house where only a handful of people are hanging around. Betty recognises Veronica’s redheaded boyfriend in the corner stood next to who she assumes is his best friend.

Veronica pauses to make small talk with someone Betty doesn’t know. Archie and his friend, currently unaware of her and Veronica’s entrance, are what capture her attention. Not Archie specifically - she’s met him before, and he’s definitely not her type - but his friend. 

She first notices his beanie. It’s a strange shape, almost like a crown, and it hides all of his hair apart from one dark lock threatening to hang over his eye. Betty finds herself wanting to push it out the way. 

Then, she catches herself staring down his body. She can’t help but notice how _ nice _ it is. He’s wearing black skinny jeans with a blue button up and suspenders that Betty didn’t realise could ever look that good. _ He is damn hot_, she thinks. Veronica was definitely right when she said he’d be her type, not that she’s telling her that just yet. 

“Ooh! I see you’ve noticed Jughead then!” Veronica teases, tugging on Betty’s arm. “Come on, let me introduce you!”

Betty barely recovers from gazing at who she now knows as Jughead from a distance before she’s being dragged closer towards him. She tries to compose herself, but the wine, shot and mysterious drink she’s been sipping is definitely affecting her now. Luckily, Veronica is in a similar position so doesn’t notice as they reach the boys. 

“Archiekins!” Veronica greets with a kiss. 

He grins at her. “Hey, Veronica, Betty. This is my friend, Jughead. Jughead, this is Veronica‘s roommate, Betty - the one I told you about.” 

Betty expects Veronica to make a bold comment but she quickly realises she’s far too interested in her boyfriend, obviously having forgotten about Betty and Jughead’s existence already. 

“Hi, Jughead. It’s nice to meet you.” Betty holds her hand out and he takes it. She can’t help but think about how perfectly their hands fit together. 

For a few seconds, neither make an effort to take their hand back. They’re making intense eye contact and Betty can’t bring herself to look away. He’s fully captivated her attention and he hasn’t even said a word yet. 

Unfortunately, he doesn’t get a chance to as Veronica interrupts them.

“So guys, Archie and I are going to dance!”

“Uh yeah,” Archie says, excitement not matching Veronica’s. “Do you guys want to join us?” 

There’s a glint in Veronica’s eye that Betty knows means she’s up to something. She knows that Betty hates dancing, and judging from Jughead’s face, so does he. So. Betty will be left alone with Jughead. No doubt that is exactly what Veronica wanted. Poor Archie must’ve got roped into her plans as match-maker. 

“Ha, no, I’m good. I’ll just hang here for a bit, but you go, Betty,” a voice says. It’s Jughead, of course, but Betty’s far too distracted by him to reply.

Veronica nudges her. “You coming, B?” 

Betty shakes her head. 

“Okay, well, see you later!” she replies, grabbing hold of Archie’s arm. As they walk off, she mouths _ or not _to Betty. She knows Veronica isn’t talking about her and Archie.

Now Veronica has left, Betty feels anxious. She’s with an unfairly attractive guy she’s only just met in the house of a girl she doesn’t know. Luckily, her red cup is still half-full, and although it’s not a therapist-recommended coping technique, Betty downs the rest of it and places her cup to the side.

It definitely calms her slightly. They call it liquid courage for a reason, she guesses. 

“So, Betty, Archie tells me you’re studying journalism? A real life Nancy Drew, huh?” Jughead says casually, interrupting her thoughts. 

“Yeah, hopefully one day,” she laughs. “Look, I’m gonna be honest here, Veronica hasn’t told me a thing about you. I only knew you were coming a few hours ago.”

He smiles. “I guess it’s up to me to tell you then.” His voice has a teasing hint to it and oh is she intrigued.

They talk for a while, learning everything there is to know about one another. She learns that he’s studying creative writing and that he’s writing a true crime novel. She learns the origin of his beanie and fragments of his family life. In return, she tells him stories from her childhood and things about Veronica and Archie’s relationship that he definitely does not want to know.

By the time their conversation comes to a natural pause, Betty is feeling the effects of the alcohol. In other words, she’s slightly drunk. And the handsome man stood next to her isn’t doing her any favours. She didn’t want Veronica to be right, but she really is interested in Jughead. 

She finds herself looking at him for slightly longer than acceptable. He catches her a few times, but every time he sends her a grin that tempts her even further. 

(The alcohol in her system isn’t helping her new-found infatuation.)

A few minutes of comfortable silence and joint people watching pass before Jughead speaks once again. 

“Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?” he asks, innocently enough.

“It’s you, it’s definitely you,” Betty mumbles without realising. 

The look of shock on his face surprises Betty before she realises what she said. 

_ Oh my god. _

She actually just said that out loud. And he heard her. And now he’s staring at her like he’s waiting for her to say something else. She’s praying to everything and anything out there for the ground to swallow her up. 

In her moments of panic, he gives her another one of those cheeky grins, and _ oh my god_, she’s almost melting into a puddle. 

He takes a step towards her. He’s standing far too close for her drunken state and she struggles to keep her thoughts pure. 

“Sorry, Betty, I don’t think I heard that.” He’s teasing her and it’s _ killing _ her.

But she decides that two can play that game. 

“Oh, Jughead, I seem to think you heard exactly what I said.” 

He places his hands on her hips and stares directly into her eyes. Betty feels like the room is spinning and it isn’t because of the alcohol. In only a few hours, Jughead has made her feel more than any of her previous boyfriends. 

Moments pass where neither move. They simply stand holding each other, staring into each other’s eyes. Her mind is racing with thoughts of him and she is so overwhelmed with everything that is Jughead. 

Nothing around them matters as he finally leans in and presses his lips to hers. She immediately responds, bringing her hands up to his face. 

They kiss for what could’ve been hours. It’s perfect and Betty never wants to stop. Everything in her life feels like it’s come together in that one moment. By the way he’s kissing her, she would guess that he feels the same. 

Eventually, Jughead pulls away. Disappointment floods Betty. She knows it’s irrational and stupid - she only met him a few ago after all - but something clicked, it just felt _ right_.

And then he’s looking at her with those beautiful eyes full of admiration and she can’t help but lean in to kiss him once more. 

She’s the one to pull back this time.

Leaning her forehead on his, she whispers, “Did you feel that too?”

“I believe I did,” he answers with a smile. 

And they’re kissing again.

This time, neither _ want _ to pull back, but Veronica’s voice interrupts them.

“Well, well, well, what have we got here?” she says with a smirk. Betty and Jughead both jump away from each other, as if to cover up what they’d just be doing even though Veronica caught them in the act. 

She’s stood there with Archie, who looks mildly in shock. The four of them stay silent, Betty desperately attempting to avoid eye contact with Veronica. 

A few very awkward minutes pass with no one saying anything. The party still continues on around them, everyone else oblivious to the tense atmosphere. 

Eventually, Archie is the one to break the silence.

“It’s, uh, getting late. I should probably get going. Ronnie, care to join me?” It’s obvious that he’s feeling awkward, and Betty feels bad for dragging him into this situation. 

“Of course, Archiekins,” Veronica replies. “But, Betty, don’t you think you’re getting out of telling me everything over brunch tomorrow! I knew you two would get along, but even I couldn’t have predicted it going this well.”

And with that, they were gone. 

Now alone with Jughead once more, Betty makes a split decision.

“Hey, uh, I’ve had a great evening and, without sounding too forward, do you want to come back to mine?” Betty asks, wishing she had more alcohol to help with the nerves. “I mean, if Veronica’s gone back with Archie, my place is free and you might not want to be with them and...” 

She doesn’t have to babble on anymore because he kisses her again. It’s a feeling she never wants to forget, and she hopes she won’t have to just yet. 

“I’d love to,” he whispers against her lips.

She kisses him once more before taking his hand and leading him out of the party. 

(The next day, Betty and Veronica have a lot of catching up to do. But not before Betty attempts to commit the feeling of his lips to memory. By the time she sees Veronica, she’s satisfied that she’s done a good job.) 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading. honestly this prompt was a really fun one to write as bughead, so i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i did writing it.


End file.
